Combined heat exchange and domestic water supply system



J. w. COLLINS COMBINED HEAT EXCHANGE AND DOMESTIC WATER SUPPLY'SYSTEM Filed June. 27, 1938 Sept. 16, 1941.

` L/Ozn. WCO/L/L/zlns,

@1 @wat IMM Patented sept. 1e, 1941 l 2,255,967

UNIT-Eo STATES PATENT o FFlCE comme nnA'r EXCHANGE AND DOMES- 'no wA'rEn SUPPLY SYSTEM John W. Collins, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, asvsignor to The Trane Company, La Crosse,'Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Application June 27, 193s, serial Ne, 216,185 2 Claims. (Cl. (i2- 3) This invention 'relates'` to a system for supplyfrom the following description andy drawing,l in

ing water from city mains to uniteoolers, conwhich densers or other types of' heatv exchangers and Figure 1 is a schematic view showing a system for subsequently utilizing the water for domestic embodying the features of this invention. purposes as occasion requires, thereby-minimizing 5 Figure 2 is a fragmentary schematic view showwaste and reducing operating expense; ing a modified form of modulating valve control It has heretofore been a common practice to which lis responsive to pressure variations for extract heat from air which is circulated for coolcontrolling the flow of cooling water yto the coning purposes, or from other fluids, as for example denser of va refrigeratingsystem'.

a refrigerating mediu by drawing water in With further reference to the drawing, the a continuous stream from the city mains to a legends show typical pressureslin a domestic inheat exchanger and then discharging it as waste stallation, but it is to be understood `that these to a sewer. Although the practice is wasteful and are given only by way of example and will be expensive it has been resorted toln many localidifferentunder various conditions.

ties and especially in domestic' installations 15 A water supply line I0 which connectsvwith the where a cooling tower for a recirculated body or city meins carries-water' under. say, 65 pounds water would be an unsightly addition fto a house pressure t0 a heat exchanger which is shown genand 'the' power costoi operating recirculatingaperally at II. The heat exchanger'may take any paratus would be relatively high as compared to of the various forms or apparatus which utilize the cost of water. Notwithstanding this, howwater fior extracting sensible heat from another ever, the continuous circulation andl discharge of fluid, such as, for example, the air cooling coilsl of water is a contributing factor in the expense of an air conditioning system, or the condenser of a operating s uch cooling systems, refrigerati 1g apparatus. It is an object-which is achieved by this inven- At the outlet I2 of the exchanger the water tion to' minimize the waste of water in such sys- 25 emerges under somewhatless pressure but in ex-A tems and consequently to'reduce the cost by uticess of that necessary for an adequate supply for lizing the water for domestic supplyas well as domestic'use. `In the drawing, the legends show for heat exchange.` y that the inlet pressure is 65 pounds while that at Another object is to provide a system-wherein vthe outlet is 60 pounds, the domestic supply rewater flows continuously from a source'of supply 30 quiring a minimum pressure of 40 pounds. through a heat exchanger and into the domestic A branch line I3r communicates with the outlet supply lines, only so much of it being discharged line I2 and leads to waste. It is formed with a to waste as is in excess of domestic requirements. trap I4 which will retain a quantity of water as I Still another object is to provide a system a seal and it has mounted therein a pressure rewherein water under city main pressure is used lief valve I5 which is set to open at a desired in a heat exchanger and is then delivered to the pressure, in this CaSe 45v pOuIldS- Thus, When domestic supply under suitably reduced' pressure `water is drawn for domestic use the pressure refor use when required. lief valve I5 will close, but when the faucets I6 A further object is to provide a system wherein are shut off the increase of pressure in the disywater from a city main is conductedthrough a 40 charge line I2 to over 45 pounds will cause the heat exchange and is then piped to the domestic v valve to open and the water which has passed supply lines, with a line to drain'which is conthrough the exchanger will thereupon be distrolled by a pressure relief valve, tojopen under a charged to waste.

pressure substantially in excess of that desired A thermostat I1 which responds to temperavlOI dGmStiC Supply. but to close whenV the dofture changes in the space to be cooled, or which mestic supply is drawn upon. y as shown is responsive to the temperature of the A still further object is'to provide a system condensing medium, controls the operation of wherein water is supplied from city mains to a, a modulating valve I8 in the inlet line III and heat exchanger under the control of a moduthereby regulates the supply of cold water to the lating valve which is automatically regulated ac'- 50 apparatus.

cording to the temperature of the space to be `As is shown in Figure 2 the modulating valve cooled, the temperature orthe condensing mef I8 may be controlled by the head pressure oiia dium, or the head pressureof a refrigerating SYS- compressor I9 in a refrigerating system wherein` the water enteringthrough line III circu1ates\ Other and further objects will be apparent around a condenser 20 and emerges through line I2, as at 24.

'- tem, any excess oi' water notrequired valve I5 inthe drain'line I2 the exchanger by the lcheck l2', the compressed refrigerantheing thus operation. l

Again referring to Figure'l, the inlet line Il is preferably controlled so that water may ilow only 'to domestic supply, or only through the exprovision is also necessarily made changer, and for shutting ,down the entire system when rev quired. To this endthe supply line I has a by- 22. theby-pass com- I pass 22 around a stop valve m'unicating directly with the domestic supply line Valves 25 and 26 are positioned at either side of the branch 2l, and the by-pass line also has apressure reducing valve 2l which in this case reduces inlet supply pressure from 65 to 40 pounds.

In normally operating the system to' supplyp condensed land passing successively .to a receiver 2|` and an expander (notshown), and ilnally returning to thecompresscr in a continuous cycle of' 9,255,967 l .I l

vuuu. if: eouic otherwise do se because `vulve nf *I was left open.

' supplying water either 2o be operated more economically.

tic use escapingpast the pressure relief valve I5 in line I 3 to waste.

To supply water only to the faucets and to cut oif flow through the heatexchanger. valves 25 and 28 may be closed, causing the water which up through'the by-pess 22. pressure reducing valve 21 and open valve 26 into the -branch line 2l and thence to the outlet-line I2 and' domestic supply. Ihe pr y shaving been reduced to 40 pounds .by valve 21, will be insuiilcient to open If water is to be supplied tothe domestic supply without` substantiel diminution ,of pressure this may be accomplished, by opening valve 25 andclosing valves 23, 26 and 29 whereupon flow will be established directly from the mains to by-pass 22, branch 24 however. the pressure would be desirably reduced to the value at which the relief valve I5 responds. yTo accomplish this the valve 29 is left open, and water is prevented from 'flowing back through valve 20. assuming and outlet line I2. Ordinarily,-

' cannot now flow through the exchanger to backv cutting .olf

To cutyoif the domestic supply while continuing to use the heat exchanger valves 23 and 25 are opened while valves 25. 25 and 2! are closed.

when it is desired to shut down the entire sys- 22 and 25 are closed and the supthe valves ply from the mains is thereby cut oiT both from the heat exchanger and the domestic supply.

From the .this system provides a variety of controls for toa heat exchanger or to but that it is intended in normal continuous supply of water at domesticsupply. use to furnish a city main thereafter to use the water for domestic ysupply under suitably reduced pressure when and as it is required, with the result that waste of water f will be and the vheat exchanger can What I claim is:

1.. A system for supplying .water for both heat f exchange and domestic use which comprises in combination with a refrigerant compressor and condenser, a line for supplying water to said condenser and a second line .from said condenser to a domestic water supply system, a .modulating valve for controlling the iiow oi' water to said condenser in accordance with the head pressure of refrigerant, and further valve means for relieving the system of requirements while maintaining in said domestic system ay supply of sure. v y

2. A system for plying'water for both heat exchange and domestic use which comprises a water supply line, a heat exchanger and a domestic water supply system normally in communication therewith. a valve for relieving the system of water in excess of domestic requirements upon rise in pressure when the domestic system is-not in a lay-pass line from the water supply line domestic supply system. a pressure reduc- `ing valve in p iiow' of water through said heat exchanger, the arrangement being such that when into the domestic water foregoing it will be apparent that pressure to. a heatv exchanger and I waterin excess of domesticwater under adequate pressaid last-named line, and avalve for Y 

